Nunavut's free trigger locks for firearms campaign comes to Iqaluit

The campaign by the Government of Nunavut and the RCMP to deliver free trigger locks to everyone in the territory who needs one has reached Iqaluit this month.

Cpl. David Lawson, the Nunavut RCMP media liaison officer, says the police have been working with the Department of Health for the past few years. handing out trigger locks. So far, they've covered about half the communities in the territory. 

Trigger locks are used to help prevent accidental or unauthorized use of firearms by sheltering the trigger with a combination or key entry, similar to a padlock.

"In the communities we've been going house-to-house, but Iqaluit's a bit too big for us to be doing that, so we've teamed up with the the Hunters and Trappers Organization, the wildlife office across from RBC and the RCMP will be giving them out at their offices."

He said he expects anywhere from 700 to 1,000 trigger locks to be given out in Iqaluit.

"They're free; we just want to ensure that people use safety measures, that guns are locked and stored properly," he said.

"If you don't have one, come get one." 

Firearms and food security

Victor Akande, manager of public health strategy implementation for the Department of Health, says the campaign is also about encouraging people to participate in the RCMP's firearms safety course.

"To that effect we are going to be funding the program as much as necessary," he said.

There are instructors trained to deliver the course in Inuit languages and the department is also funding the translation of the course manual into Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun, he said.

Akande said promoting firearm safety is tied to two of the department's goals: reducing the risk of injuries and premature deaths, and encouraging healthy traditional diets.

"The use of firearms for hunting is tied to food security," he said.

"We want to encourage people to go out and hunt on the land and sea, and when they do so, we want to ensure they have adequate skills and capacity to handle the firearms and feed their families. It's like using one stone to kill two birds."

The Department of Health plans to give away 8,300 trigger locks.

Outside of Iqaluit, people who need a trigger lock can contact their local RCMP detachment.